| It's surprisingly common - you're exercising, | | | | sore muscles, difficulty breathing, and dizziness |
| everything's fine, and then POW - a headache | | | | along with headache, you could be experiencing |
| strikes! Or, sometimes, a headache hits while | | | | early signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. |
| you're exercising. Is it just a minor annoyance? Or | | | | You'll soon be past helping yourself, but friends will |
| could it be a signal that something serious is going | | | | need to make sure your body is cooled off |
| on? Should you go to the doctor, or just shrug it | | | | quickly. |
| off? | | | | Of course, everyone is afraid of brain tumours. |
| If you already suffer from headaches or migraine, | | | | Tumours (tumors) are very rare, so don't panic |
| it may just be that your exercise is starting the | | | | at the first sign of headache. Unlike typical |
| headache chain-reaction. In that case, it's | | | | headaches, these generally get worse over the |
| important to look at the overall picture and make | | | | course of several weeks, and are usually worse in |
| sure you're getting the treatment you need for | | | | the morning. They get worse when you exercise, |
| headaches. Your doctor may recommend a pain | | | | and almost always include other symptoms, such |
| killer to take just before you exercise, to stop | | | | as blurred vision, unsteadiness or weakness. Again, |
| the pain before it starts. In the case of migraine, | | | | if you get a new headache, see your doctor right |
| this is called an "effort migraine", and it's very | | | | away. You want to catch these things as early as |
| common. A throbbing headache in the back of | | | | possible. |
| your head may be an "exertion headache", which | | | | Here are some other things that may tip you off |
| again usually requires some pain killers and is not | | | | that your exercise headache is very serious: |
| serious. | | | | - You have injured your head in the past |
| But after exercise headache can be a warning | | | | - You experience paralysis or a tingling sensation |
| that something serious is going on. As a general | | | | - Your neck is stiff |
| rule of thumb, if you get a new headache after | | | | - You're waking up at night with pain |
| you exercise, you should see a doctor right away. | | | | - The headache isn't going away |
| Any sudden change when it comes to headache | | | | - You're experiencing other symptoms elsewhere |
| could be a sign of something serious, so don't | | | | - Any other change in symptoms |
| wait. | | | | Remember, even if you have other symptoms, it |
| Some of the more serious headaches have to do | | | | may not be an immediate problem. But it's worth |
| with the blood vessels in the head. A headache | | | | it to talk to your doctor and remove all doubt. |
| after exercise could indicate an abnormality in the | | | | Even if it's not a sign of another disease, dealing |
| blood vessels themselves, or could warn you of a | | | | with the pain will help you benefit more from |
| brain hemorrhage (or haemorrhage) (blood flow | | | | exercise and your relaxing time too. Your health is |
| when blood vessels break). | | | | worth it! |
| If you're exercising in the heat and begin to have | | | | |